The ACOTAR TV Show Could Have Been the Biggest Fantasy Series Since Game of Thrones

If you’ve paid any attention to the fantasy fiction section of your local bookstore, you’ve probably heard of Sarah J. Maas. Her books have sold over 13 million copies, she’s a fixture at the top of the New York Times bestseller list, and her complex stories have given rise to the sort of rabid fandom […]

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Anybody missing Luther could do worse than tune into new Bradford-set crime drama Virdee. DCI Harry Virdee may not have quite as brilliant an intellect as DCI John Luther’s, but he operates in a similarly grey area between criminality and the law, is just as handy with his fists, and faces a villain in series one whose methods are so grotesque and lurid that they could have stepped straight out of the Idris Elba-led drama. You thought Luther‘s twins were deranged? Stay tuned.

What sets Virdee apart from Luther, aside from their differing British cultural contexts (Harry is Sikh with Indian heritage and lives in Bradford, John is a Black Londoner), are their marriages. Unlike estranged and then tragically widowed Luther, Harry is very much a team with his wife Saima, even if he keeps things from her. Their love and young son are the bedrock of both their lives, and hopefully what will keep Harry Virdee from going too far down a dark path…

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Meet the Virdee characters and see where you might recognise the actors from below.

Staz Nair as Harry Virdee

DCI Hardeep “Harry” Virdee is a 39-year-old Bradford cop with conflicted loyalties to his beloved wife Saima and young son Aaron, his brother-in-law Riaz, his job, and his city. He’s the lead character in AA Dhand’s five-strong Harry Virdee book series (Streets of Darkness, Girl Zero, City of Sinners, One Way Out, The Blood Divide) and is played in this BBC One series by actor and singer Staz Nair.

TV fans will recognize British actor Nair for his roles in US dramas Game of Thrones, in which he played Dothraki general Qhono; Krypton, in which he appeared as Dax-Baron, and for his regular role in Supergirl as William Dey, and in Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon. He also appeared as Rocky in a 2016 TV version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and was formerly a member of The X Factor band Times Red.

Vikash Bhai as Riaz Hyatt

Riaz is a Bradford crime kingpin, and Harry’s brother-in-law. The two grew up together, and despite going in different directions after Riaz was sentenced to prison, the bond between them remains – unbeknownst to Harry’s wife and Riaz’s sister Saima. He’s played by Vikash Bhai, an actor familiar to fans of sci-fi series Pandora, as well as BBC thriller Crossfire, US sci-fi series Hanna, and many more. Bhai’s voice might also be recognised by listeners to Big Finish’s audio Doctor Who adventures, of which he’s recorded many.

Aysha Kala as Saima Hyatt

Saima Hyatt is a nurse, mother of young son Aaron, married to Harry, and the sister of drug kingpin Riaz – not that she knows that her brother’s operating an organised crime group out of his cash-and-carry warehouse. Clever and independent, Saima is a proud Muslim of Pakistani heritage who’s not prepared to compromise her faith to placate her bigoted father-in-law. She’s played by screen and stage actor Aysha Kala, seen recently in Apple TV+ crime drama Criminal Record and known previously on TV for ITV’s Indian Summers, as well as recent National Theatre roles in The Motive and the Cue, and The Father and the Assassin.

Kulvinder Ghir as Ranjit Virdee

Ranjit is Harry’s father, though he hasn’t seen him – or met his grandson Aaron – for eight years by the time that Virdee begins. An Indian Sikh who holds a strong prejudice against Pakistani Muslims, he disowned his son when he married Saima, and refuses to acknowledge him to this day. He’s played by Kulvinder Ghir, a very familiar face on British TV for his time as a castmember on beloved comedy series Goodness Gracious Me, as well as Beecham House, Still Open All Hours, and recently, Apple TV+ sci-fi Foundation.

Tomi May as Enzo Tobin

Enzo is Riaz’s right-hand man in Bradford West, and the one who gets his hands dirty when violence is called for in the fight against Vasil Sharma’s rival gang. Line of Duty fans will recognise actor Tomi May as having played Miroslav Minkovicz, a member of the organised crime group being hunted by AC-12’s police officers. May has also appeared in Killing Eve, The Trouble With Maggie Cole, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Headhunters and an episode of the videogame-to-TV adaptation Halo.

Danyal Ismail as DS Khalil Amin

No TV crime drama would be complete without a new DS for our lead to show the ropes and explain things to (and by extension, also to us) along the way. In Virdee, that’s Khalil, a new recruit to Harry’s Bradford team. Khalil quickly understood that his new boss who “doesn’t do desks” also doesn’t quite follow the rules, and the question is, will he support or report Harry for it? This is Ismail’s fourth crime drama TV role, following parts in ITV’s Vera, Madonald & Dobbs and Ridley.

Elizabeth Berrington as DS Clare Conway

DS Conway is Harry’s police colleague (and are we sure that she’s only a DS as she’s credited? She acts more like DCI Virdee’s boss). She’s a supporting character about whom little is known, and she’s played by Elizabeth Berrington. Where have you seen Elizabeth Berrington before? Everywhere. From The Office to Waterloo Road to Stella to The Responder to Good Omens, via basically every British TV show made in the last 20 years, Berrington’s been in it.

Elaine Tan as Rebecca Armitage

Rebecca Armitage is part of the UK Crime Agency, a fictional organisation in Virdee‘s world. The UKCA is called in to take over a high-profile investigation into a ritualistic killer. She’s played by Elaine Tan, who recently appeared in ITV thriller Red Eye and Sky sci-fi drama The Lazarus Project, and before that Tom Clancy‘s Jack Ryan, Acquitted and multiple episodes of British soap EastEnders in the role of Li Chong.

Nicola Burley as Sophie Brodenham

Sophie is a mystery at the start of Virdee, but is soon established as Riaz’s confidante. Her backstory will be unravelled as the series approaches its finale. She’s played by Nichola Burley, who was recently in ITVX crime drama Protection, as well as playing Brenda in BBC true-crime drama The Gold, appearing in Netflix fantasy thriller Behind her Eyes, and many more.

Ramon Tikaram as Jai Pawa

No spoilers here for anybody who hasn’t yet binged all episodes of Virdee series one. Jai Pawa is a powerful figure from Virdee’s past who returns to Bradford set on vengeance. He’s played by another very familiar face on British TV: Ramon Tikaram, seen recently in Netflix fantasy KAOS, but also Brassic, Pennyworth, multiple Doctor Who audio adventures, Stella, EastEnders, and many others, including, of course, for the role of Ferdy in 1990s favourite This Life.